An Apprentice in the Family

By Shannon Bennett, Student In English: Occupations – Professions and Trades, Module 2  we jumped right in and learned quite a bit about the apprentice system in England. Wow, that was a lot of interesting, new, and eye opening information for me. I think I will continue to process it for a while. I knew from history books that the apprentice system was complicated and long running but I really didn’t understand all the nuances that were involved.  Learning all the laws helped me understand what the changes were then and how they could affect what I found from a genealogical perspective. In fact, I did not know that there were three kinds of apprenticeship: trade, poor, and charity. Each of those categories had different rules and regulations as well. Plus, depending on which your ancestor fell under could determine what information would be available to you and where you could find it. That’s right, nothing can be easy can it?! What really struck me was the amount of potential genealogical information that is out there. If you knew that your ancestor worked an occupation that would require apprenticeship you could be in luck with the family knowledge you could uncover. It makes me want to go look a little harder for those papers that could be out there about my family! For instance, if you had an ancestor who was a trade apprentice you could potentially learn the following information about them from register books: Name and age of…

Continue reading

Learning More About English Occupations

By Shannon Bennett, Student Many of my and my husband’s family come from England. Lots. Lots and lots. Did I say quite a few?  Well, needless to say I am intrigued by the records that are over there but at times I do not understand exactly what is being said. We sort of speak the same language. I am sure some of you can relate. Even here in the US our words have evolved over time. For example I had an ancestor who was a paperhanger. What in the world did that mean?  After I researched it I learned he hung wallpaper (in addition to painting houses and odd stints as a carpenter). It occurred to me that as I delved deeper into various records across the pond that I might come into more and more occupations that I didn’t quite understand, let alone understand the way the labor system was set up there. Thankfully there is a course I can take through The National Institute to help me learn all about this side of genealogy. My next course is English: Occupations. Professions and Trades by Dr. Penelope Christensen.  I have to say it looks intriguing!  Looking over the syllabus it really looks like it is going to cover a wide range of information across a variety of fields. Most of our family ancestors were farmers or miners with a couple who were merchants or had a trade. While none of them were professionals, I think it will be interesting…

Continue reading

Celebrating Family History Month in Queensland

  Over 100 people enjoyed  the Queensland Family History Society  Open Day on Saturday August 23rd, an annual event held during National Family History Month. This year’s theme was Your family tree – more than just names and dates. Guided tours through the Society’s Resource Centre, a presentation sharing members’ stories of their family, and advice from the Society’s  special interest groups (Scotland, Central Europe, Wales, English West Country, DNA Interest Group, Family History Writing Group, Family Tree Maker and The Master Genealogist) allowed participants to learn about resources, ask questions, and receive assistance. The National Institute for Genealogical Studies was also there with information about our programs such as the Australian and English Records certificates and over 200 courses. A free course from the National Institute was won by Merle Grinly. The Queensland Family History Society  was founded in 1979, “providing research resources in a pleasant, friendly environment and to providing suitable premises for members to spend time, both for educational purposes and as a meeting place to discuss shared interests.”  National Family History Month occurs in August of each year. For a schedule of events, see the official National Family History Month website. Special thanks to Brenda Wheeler, Rosemary Kopittke, and Charlotte Sale for their help in including The National Institute for Genealogical Studies in this event. Is your society holding an event? Why not invite The National Institute for Genealogical Studies? We’d love to support your event with door prizes or giveaways. To learn more, email us at…

Continue reading

Finishing Up: The US Census Course

By Shannon Bennett, Student What a wonderful course!  Really, once again I am surprised by exactly how much I didn’t know about a simple, basic topic. The U.S. Federal Census is a staple for researchers in the states, but it is also complicated and at times detailed. Unless the family history researcher takes the time to dig deeper it will never give up all of its secrets to them. I would almost say it could be a trial in patience and perseverance. Some people might not understand why this course could be of use to anyone who is already an intermediate or more advanced genealogist. Simply put, I would say anyone with that outlook is wrong.  (Well, unless they are a true expert in the U.S. Census.) So, unless you have written a book on the subject, or this is your niche, I bet you can take away quite a bit from the course. I thought I knew quite a lot about this basic subject but I was very appreciative of how in-depth the course is. There were obvious holes in my knowledge, and I enjoyed learning about aspects of the census that I didn’t know as much about. I really liked that there were a large number of charts and tips to aid the student in their classwork. Which, I will admit, I have already tabbed so that I can use them again for future reference. Speaking of classwork, I was excited to have a few case studies to…

Continue reading

Instructor is Honored

Melanie Holtz, CG, an Institute instructor, has been awarded  a Certificate of Appreciation from the Association of Professional Genealogists at the recent FGS conference. Melanie is an instructor with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and has most recently authored a course for our Professional Development Certificate. Congratulations Melanie! Below is the  official press release. APG Honors Six Members for Achievements and Service to the Field of Genealogy